Hidden by the shadows
by Immortal-grace
Summary: Mirkwood was raided during the late hours of the night. After Legolas' father is killed in battle, the young prince plans to get the survivors away from harm and he attacks the Men who raided his home...R


Hidden by the shadows  
  
Thranduil lay on his bed, thinking about anything and everything. With his advanced Elven hearing, he could hear the light breath of his only son coming from the room next to his. 'Good. That boy needs sleep." Thranduil thought, looking around the room. Suddenly, the light breathing stopped and a few seconds later his son was in the hall. "MEN!" Thranduil heard his son scream. The King of Mirkwood was up in a heartbeat. He rushed out, his blood racing like a horse through his veins, with a weapon in hand. He would fight.  
  
//FLASHBACK//  
  
Legolas rode past the gates and jumped off his horse. He went inside. Nothing. What's this? Legolas walked the halls, seeing no one. Not his Mother. Not his Father. No one. He turned a corner and stepped back a he caught a dead end. In a second's time, he was on the ground. Dazed, Legolas looked up into the eyes of his Father. "Sorry Ada. I was looking for...well, everyone. What is going on?" Legolas said as his Father helped him up. Thranduil's eyes went glazed as tears gathered into his eyes. "Men ambushed us yesterday. Your Mother was...killed." Thranduil said.  
  
"What?! Why didn't you notify me?! Adar! I was in Rivendell, the message would have reached me!" Legolas said, tears falling from his bright Elven eyes. The Prince hadn't noticed that tears were streaming down his face until he was brought back to reality...  
  
//END FLASHBACK//  
  
Thranduil was out in the halls, people bustling to help the battle, and he desperately looked for his son. No sign of him. The King walked further down the hall, searching every face for the so familiar face of Legolas. "Milord! You seek Legolas?" A messenger asked, trying to keep up with Thranduil. The King nodded. "He went out the window, down the tree and into battle." The Elf said. Thranduil sighed in happy relief. He nodded in thanks and took off. "He took the tree! I should have known." The Elf King said to himself, forcefully opening the doors and going to the field of battle.  
  
What he saw terrified him. Arrows shot here and there and Elves and Men lie dead on the ground. A Guard, one Thranduil had picked for Legolas especially, came running up to him. "Milord! We are out numbered! We only have about 500 Elves that can fight!" The Guard said, over the noise of the battle. "How many Men are there?" Thranduil asked, exasperated. 500 fighting Elves was a good number...for fighting Men, at least. "A good 4,000! Maybe more! More Men come every minute!" The Guard said. Thranduil' eyes widened. 4,000 with more coming all the time!  
  
"We're outnumbered! We've been ambushed! We...need to take cover and save the remaining of our KIN!" The Guard made his voice louder as the battle became louder. Thranduil sensed something and he stepped back in a fast and graceful motion. An arrow landed where the King had once stood. "Milord? Do you think Legolas is alright? There is no sight of him!" The Guard asked after a minute. "He is my son! I would know if he were dead! I say; don't hold back! Keep fighting! We will not give in!" The furious King said. The Guard nodded and went off in another direction.  
  
Away from the sight of his father, Legolas killed the Men as they attacked him. He hated doing this, although it felt right after what happened to his Mother. The top reason for the hate of killing the Men was that he felt no life should be lost. He felt a pain in his right shoulder and turned to its source. A Man had hit him with some sort of club-like thing. It was made of wood and had sharp spikes, made of iron, that were coming from everywhere. Legolas fired an arrow, it hit the Man in the arm. Legolas had been aiming for the heart, but the Man moved at the last second.  
  
Seeing that he wasn't hurt bad, the Man produced a whip of solid leather and steel and held his club in his other hand. Legolas' keen Elven senses made sure that the Prince wasn't going to be hit. He ducked or jumped out of the way as the whip came down. As he twisted, the whip caught him in the back and he hissed in pain. Quickly he produced an arrow and shot it, hitting the Man in the heart. The assailant fell to the ground, dead.  
  
Thranduil sensed something. His son? His son was in danger! Thranduil felt a stinging sensation on his back and right shoulder. His son was okay, he was hurt, but he was alive. Thranduil's long Elven blade found flesh and his attacker fell against the wall and slid down slowly as he died. The King turned his head at his name. Not "King" or "Milord" or "sir" but "Ada".  
  
His son had found him. "Ada, I know where the Men come from!" Legolas said over the roar of battle. "Where?" Thranduil asked, glad to see his son. "From the Northwest. They come from the wicked mountains of Ered Mithrin." Legolas informed his Father. Thranduil knew the place. Just about every Elf knew the place. Wicked Men live there. They ABSOLUTELY hate the Elves! Whenever they get the chance, they take an Elf or two to their Mountains.  
  
Those Elves are never returned.  
  
Thranduil had a book on them. "Legolas, I am going inside! I have something on these Men! It may state a weakness!" The King said to his son. Legolas narrowed his eyes. "I am coming with!" He said. The King shook his head. "No, Legolas, you stay here and fight!" Thranduil said sternly to his son. Legolas nodded reluctantly and disappeared into the fight. The King went into his home. It saddened him to see it like this. So deserted.  
  
He went into his study and searched for the book. When he couldn't find it, he remembered that he had put it in Legolas' room.  
  
Once in his son's room, he searched the tall bookshelf. A green and red book stood out and he grabbed it and wildly flipped through the pages.  
  
The Men piled the homemade bombs by the door of the King's castle. Legolas noticed this a little late as a Man ran up to throw a torch into the pile of bombs. Legolas' mind raced as he tried to bring down the Man, yet even though death was there...the Man jumped and the whole half of the castle went down.  
  
Legolas was thrown back at the force of the bomb. He wasn't hurt, well not badly anyways, and he stood. He looked around wildly, everything else fading from his view, and looked for his father. His father had been on that side of the building!  
  
An arrow whizzed passed his ear and Legolas was returned to reality. He fought harder on the Men now. They had killed his father! "No! Don't say that! He's alive!" a voice in Legolas' head told him. The blonde Elf shook his head and continued fighting.  
  
A knock to his head and the Elf fell to the floor of the forest. He raised himself up a bit on his hands and stood up and shook his head. He turned and shot the assailant. "Do not try that again." He said breathlessly to the young Man who lay dead on the forest floor and he turned to battle once more. This time, he had a bit of a headache.  
  
A Guard approached Legolas sometime into the battle. "Prince Legolas! We have been so worried! There aren't many Elves left! More Men come from the Northwest every minute! I do not believe that these Men actually live in the Northwest, but that is where they come from for the battle." The Guard said. "I believe that as well. These Men do not look like they are from those treacherous mountains. Try to save as many Elves as possible! Keep the children safe and the women too. Round up those who are left and get them into the forest and away from here! Make your way to Rivendell!" Legolas said, killing Men at the same time.  
  
The Guard nodded and left.  
  
Legolas' plan was; Get the remaining Elves out of battle and to Rivendell. Lord Elrond could help them there and they would be safe.  
  
The young Prince watched as his plan unfolded before his eyes. 


End file.
